Eat Less Without Dieting

To avoid overeating, grab a bigger fork.

By More.com Health Editors

Photograph: Diane Diederich

To slim down, choose your silverware carefully. When researchers from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City gave diners at an Italian restaurant different-sized forks, they found that people who used large forks ate significantly less from a heaping plate of food than those who used smaller utensils. “The physiological feedback of feeling full comes with a time lag,” the researchers wrote. “In its absence diners focus on the visual cue of whether they are making any dent on the food on their plate to assess goal progress.” Diners with the smaller forks may have felt like they were eating less, say researchers. So the next time you order dessert, save the larger silverware from your entrée or ask for a clean set.